Casteel heading out west

Seems to be the trend these days, a lot of people “headin out west, sucka!”

Jeff Casteel seems to be the latest to head to the desert.

Reports from all around, including WVIllustrated, are indicating that Casteel is heading out to Tuscon, AZ to join Rich Rodriguez at the University of Arizona to be the defensive coordinator.

Also, longtime WVU assistant Bill Kirelawich will join the Wildcats as defensive line coach after more than three decades with the Mountaineers.

It is also expected that WVU assistant David Lockwood would fill the secondary coach position.

After the break, we’re going to talk about the possible replacements for Casteel.

Randy Shannon is best known for being the Miami Hurricanes Head Coach, replacing Larry Coker, and for being hit with a trash can in Morgantown while he was the Linebackers coach at Miami in 1996. Eventually, the state paid Shannon $50,000 to settle a lawsuit.

Here’s how, during his 6 years reign as UM defensive coordinator, his defenses ranked nationally-

During Shannon’s six years as UM’s defensive coordinator, his defenses ranked as follows in total defense nationally:

• 2001 – 6th
• 2002 – 7th
• 2003 – 2nd
• 2004 – 28th
• 2005 – 4th
• 2006 – 7th

Not bad, right? Nope, not at all. However, Shannon is also on University of Tennessee’s wishlist for DC. WVU AD Oliver Luck seems to want Randy Shannon for DC.

Brian Stewart, as of recently, was the defensive coordinator of the Houston Cougars until recently, when he resigned “to pursue other opportunities.”

Stewart runs the traditional, pro-style 3-4 defense that he learned under Wade Philips (former Dallas Cowboys head coach and current Houston Texans defensive coordinator.)

In 2008, the Cowboys led the league with 59 sacks and ranked third in that category in 2007 (46). In 2007, an NFL-best five Cowboys defenders (DeMarcus Ware, Roy Williams, Greg Ellis, Ken Hamlin and Terence Newman) earned Pro Bowl selections.

Joe DeForest is the current Special Teams Coordinator at Oklahoma State. Yes, he and Holgorsen know each other (duh.) DeForest is an 11-year veteran of the Oklahoma State football coaching staff. The 46-year-old DeForest, in addition to being special-teams coordinator, is OSU’s associate head coach and safeties coach. He was an original member of Les Miles’ OSU staff in 2001 and was retained by Mike Gundy in 2005.

Who will be the next WVU defensive coordinator, and what system will they bring with them?

We bid Jeff Casteel, Bill Kirlavich, and Dave Lockwood all the best of luck in Arizona, even as they’re going back to work for that Judas Iscariot known as Rich Rodriguez.